Study shows most visiting local wineries are fairly local themselves

Next time you take a sip of chardonnay at a North Carolina winery, you’ll likely be doing so with a fellow Tar Heel.

Claire Parker - Wilmington StarNews

Next time you take a sip of chardonnay at a North Carolina winery, you’ll likely be doing so with a fellow Tar Heel.

A recent study conducted by the N.C. Division of Tourism and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, found that 80 percent of winery customers are visitors outside the community, but 70 percent of them live within the state.

The study indicates that special events garner the most local traffic. Outsiders also look for additional attractions, like nearby fine dining and reasonably priced accommodations, when planning overnight winery vacations, according to the study.

That’s good news to local winery owners who say the area and the nearby beaches are a boon to business.

“For the most part our traffic is from beachgoers and golfers. It’s why we opened a tasting room in Southport and ended up keeping it open because of its popularity,” said Maryann Azzato, manager and co-owner of Silver Coast Winery in Ocean Isle Beach.

There are 13 coastal wineries, according to the Tourism Division’s website, and six of those are within about an hour’s drive.

Wineries are defined as places where wine is made, so that includes sprawling estates like Silver Coast to brick-and-mortar spots like Wilmington’s Lumina Winery & Brewery and Noni Bacca Winery, where the grapes are grown off site to produce various types of wine.

“We have so many different kinds of wineries, from muscadine to traditional grapes, so we attract people from all over the place,” said Ken Incorvaia, owner of Noni Bacca on Eastwood Road.

“There’s a great message in this research that the Division of Tourism should continue to promote wineries as part of the overall North Carolina vacation experience,” according to Wit Tuttell, director of tourism marketing for the Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development.

“It also tells us that events are important for wineries to build their local audience, but dining and accommodations are the keys for getting visitors to come and stay. Getting outside visitors will bring a much greater economic impact to these areas.”